Edwaed weston



(No Model.)

B. WESTON.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES.

No. 316,089. Patented Apr. 21, 1885.

lINiTEn STATES PATENT OFFica.

EDWVARD WESTON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASS-IGNOR TO THE UNITED STATESELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY, OF N EWV YORK, N. Y.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO-ELECTRlC MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3l6,089, dated April21, 1885.

Application filed February 12, 1884. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WESTON, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at-Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulatorsfor Dynamo-Electric Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being bad to the drawings accompanying and form- IO ing a partof the same.

When the resistance of an electric circuit is to be varied by means of arheostat operated by an electro-magnet, it is usual to employ somemechanism for imparting the requisite 1 movement to the rheostat, usingthe electro-' magnet only for determining the direction and duration ofthe movement. By arrangements of this character the magnet is largelyrelieved of its load, and greater sensitiveness thereby secured, whilethe employment of rheostats of unlimited range is rendered possible.

In a patent granted to me May 29, 1883, No. 278,640,, I have shown anddescribed a system of regulation involving a mechanism operat- 2 5 ingon this principle. The contact-arm that sweeps over the plates of therheostat is moved in one direction or another by the action ofoscillating pawls that receive motion from a shaft constantly rotated bysome suitable source of 0 power. An electro-magnet is employed forcontrolling the position of the pawls with reference to a pair ofratchet-wheels, and thus determines in what direction or how far thecontact-arm shall be turned.

My present invention is an improvement in this class of instruments, theinvention having for its object to render the action of the regulatingmechanism more sensitive and sure, and to simplify the construction andarrange- 0 ment of the parts.

The parts of the regulating mechanism to which my invention is confinedare illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the devices for 5 turning the contact-armof a rheostat; Fig. 2,

an enlarged view in elevation and part section of parts of the same.

The working parts are mounted on any suitable base, A, and are composedin the main of the means for shifting the rheostat-arm and theelectromagnetic regulating devices. The

former are supported by a metallic standard,

respective pawls.

B, and consist of a pulley-wheel, C,-a shaft, D, carrying tworatchet-Wheels, E F, and a bifurcated bar, G, carrying the hinged pawlsa b, and oscillated on the shaft D by a crankpin, 0, on the disk H,fixed to the shaft of the pulley-wheel. The position of the bar G isbetween the two ratchet-wheels, whereby an accurate balance andincreased delicacy of operation of the parts is attained. One branch, d,is bent at right angles, and to it is hinged the pawl a over the wheelE. The other branch, 6, is similarly bent, and holds the pawl b over thewheel F, both pawls being between the branches d 6, so that by theoscillation of the barG the ratchet-wheels will be turned in oppositedirections by the engagement of their A sleeve, K, on a pin,f, set inthe standard B, is provided with two arms, 9' h, from which extend pinsk Z in opposite directions, and under the pawls a b, respectively. Thepins k Z are shown as being adjustable in the arms gh, toward or'fromthe circumference of the ratchet-wheels, to admit of an accurateregulation of the engagement of the pawls with said wheels. Thisadjustability is preferably attained, as shown, by making that part ofthe pins 70 Z which supports the pawls eccentric to the part which has abearing in the arms 9 h. By turning said pins, therefore, in the arms 9h, the parts which operate the pawls will be moved to differentpositions between said pawls and the wheels nearer to or farther fromthe wheels, as desired. A third arm, m, bent at right angles, extendsfrom sleeve K down between the two ratchet-wheels, and is connected by arod, 12, with an arm, M, secured to an armature, N," pivoted at 0 to arigid frame, P, supporting an 9c electro-magnet O. The contact-arm R, ofany ordinary form of rheostat which has a circular series ofcontact-plates, is fixed to the end of shaft D, and by the movement ofthe latter is caused to sweep over the said plates, and thus interposeor cut out a greater or less amount of resistance. The rheostat orseries of coils, not entering into the present invention, and itscharacter and use being clearly understood, is not shown in thedrawings. 7

The operation of the device is as follows: The coils of magnet O areconnected up in any given circuit, the current in which is to beutilized for operating or controlling the rheostat by shifting thecontact-arm R. The pulley-wheel O is rotated by any desired source ofpoweran electric motor or the engine used for running the generatorswhich produce the current. This imparts to the bar G an oscillatingmotion on theshaft D and moves the pawls a b to and fro over theratchetwheels E F. When the normal current is pass-' ingin thec'oils ofmagnet O, the attraction of the magnet for its armature, counterbalancedby the adjustable spiral spring S, holds the arms 9 h in a positionwhere both pawls a b are held out of contact with the ratchet-wheels bythe pins k Z. Should the current in magnet O increase, its power becomesgreater and rod n is raised. This turns the sleeve K, and lowers thepawl b into engagement with the teeth of wheel F. The latter istherefore turned step by step, shifting the arm R. The same takes placewith the pawl a and wheel E when the current in magnet 0 falls below thenormal.

In practice I apply this device to the regulation of a dynamo-electricmachine, as set forth in my patent above referred to-that is, I connectup the magnet O in the main circuit, and operate or control'by it avariable resistancein the derived field-circuit of the machine.

The combination of devices herein described may, however, be applied tomany other purposessuch as a regulation of the flow of water, gas, orany fluidsbut such other uses are more fully set forth in otherapplications of which they are to be made the subject.

The construction and arrangement of the parts comprising the devicewhich I have now described possess many advantages and features ofnovelty. I

Aside from its extreme simplicity, the arrangement of parts secures amovement of the pawls with respect to the ratchet-wheels such that,while their full force and effect are availed of, their disengagementwith the ratchet is greatly facilitated. The delicacy and sensitivenessare also greatly increased by the fact that the only load on the magnetis the weight of the pawls, while the free action or movement of thearmature is not and cannot be impeded by the engagement of the pawlswith the ratchets, since, while'a pawl is in action, the pin It or Zwhich projects under it is out of contact with it.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a regulatingmechanism, the combination of a shaft, two oppositely-toothedratchetwheels thereon, a bar pivoted on the shaft, situated between thewheels, and'carrying on each side and above each wheel a pawl adapted toengage therewith, means for oscillating said bar, an electro-magnet andarmature, and mechanism controlled thereby for lowering the pawlsalternately into engagement with the ratchet-wheels, substantially asset forth.

2. In a regulating mechanism, the combination, with a shaft and theratchet-wheels'carried thereby, of a pivoted b'ar, pawls supportedthereon, means for oscillating the bar, pivoted arms extending beneaththe pawls, an electro-magnet and hinged armature, the bar M, attached tothe armature and parallel to the magnet, thespring S, secured to the barM and acting to oppose the force of the magnet, and the rod a,connecting the bar M with the said pivoted arm, substantially as setforth.

8. In a regulating mechanism, the combination, with a shaft and theratchet-wheels carried thereby, of the pawls, devices for actuatingthem, arms g h, pins supported in said arms extending beneath the pawls,and ad- .j ustable to various positions between the pawls andratchet-wheels, an electro-magnet and armature, and mechanism controlledby the movement of the armature for. adjusting the arms g h,substantially as set forth.

4. In a regulating mechanism, the combination, with a shaft and theratchet-wheels carried thereby, of the pawls, devices for actuatingthem, arms 9 h, eccentric pins is Z, supported in said arms andextending beneath the'pawls, an electro-magnet and armature, andmechanism controlled by the movement of the armature for adjusting thearms gh, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day ofJanuary, 1884.

W. H. HARTLEY, W. FRISBY.

